Musical Fence: Reprise

The Musical Fence: Reprise is a reimagining of a sculpture built 37 years ago.

In 1980, Paul Matisse built an original sound sculpture titled Musical Fence.His original work consisted of tuned aluminum chimes secured into a concrete base.

The piece was originally public art.

Installed on the city streets of Central Square in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the fence's chimes invited passersby to come and ring them as they walked by, or to stop, stand, and play them more deliberately.

The community loved the piece. Parents would bring their kids to the fence after school, commuters would ring the fence on their way to and from work, and musicians would have impromptu performances in the evenings. Unfortunately, the piece was taken down after just 40 days.

The Musical Fence: Reprise attempts to revive the spirit of Matisse's original work, to create a public space for music making. The Reprise premiered at the Eaux Claires Music and Arts festival in August of 2016, where it was very well received. It has since been installed twice at Tufts University in Somerville, Massachusetts, and performed in various concerts in the Boston area.

New installations for fences in public spaces are in the works. Stay tuned.